As I flew to the other side of the World to attend the Wedding of Gerry and Andrea Anderson last week, I enjoyed the celebration of their big day, as they turned convention on its head and shared the beauty of their uniqueness with their family and friends.
Both high profile professionals in the medical profession, Andrea and Gerry have met in their thirties and forties respectively and apart from the parallels of their work, are compatible in so many ways and share so many strengths.
Both embrace Buddhist values, and so decided to recite their carefully chosen vows together, which touched upon sensitive subjects of sexuality and substance abuse – they are both T total by choice, and perhaps at having witnessed the effects of alcohol and drugs in their work this also came into play.
Andrea and Gerry unashamedly selected to keep the Wedding Celebration an alcohol free occasion, which seemed perfect as an early morning event, and the guests mingled beautifully, reflecting the magic of the day, and respecting the couple’s strength in remaining true to themselves and their beliefs.
After the heartfelt ceremony which was conducted on the mouth of the Mersey River, and just after The Spirit of Tasmania made its gloriously majestic swerve toward Melbourne, the Wedding Party were directed to just a few yards away towards the skilfully laid Breakfast table where we were served the most sumptuous Wedding Breakfast. Pancakes with fresh fruit and smoothies, followed by sunny side eggs and smashed avocado on toast and copious amounts of coffee and a variety of tea and soft drinks.
The choice of riverside Harbourmaster Café was as a result of their confidence in Leigh Murphy the owner, who they knew would deliver a great banquet with personality, and he did not disappoint. Andrea and Gerry had both enjoyed previous visits to the café and knew that the venue would provide the pure ambiance of the location that they envisioned for their celebration.
Many of the guests commented on the brilliance of the occasion, and nobody questioned the unorthodox detail as it seemed perfect for the couple whose honesty reflected a purity of spirit that rippled through the gathering and shone a light upon the day.
I am hoping that upon reading this article it will certainly give you food for thought when planning a Wedding for yourself or a friend or offspring, to overlook the norm, and explore the individuality of the couple in question, as did Andrea and Gerry.
I don’t mean that you should fly to the other side of the World to get married, or even go further than your own back yard, but to stay true to yourself or the couple in question takes courage.
It is true that you may have to make brave choices, as there are so many social and family pressures involved, but if you have the confidence and maturity to stick to your guns, there is no doubt that your guests will admire your resolve and respect your decision not to be rocked by convention.
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